Eating Disorder Treatment Glossary Terms

Eating Disorder Diagnoses & Behaviors

ED – Eating Disorder

General abbreviation for eating disorders, covering all types including AN, BN, BED, and others.

Co-Occurring Disorders

The presence of additional mental health conditions alongside an eating disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or substance use disorders. Effective treatment addresses all co-occurring issues simultaneously.

AN – Anorexia Nervosa

A complex eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and persistent behaviors that lead to significantly low body weight. Individuals with anorexia nervosa often restrict food intake, may exercise excessively, and struggle to recognize the seriousness of their low weight. Despite being underweight, they may perceive themselves as overweight. This disorder can lead to severe physical health issues, including malnutrition, heart complications, and osteoporosis, as well as psychological challenges like depression and anxiety.

BN – Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder marked by a cycle of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives to avoid weight gain. Individuals with bulimia often feel a lack of control during binges and experience intense shame or guilt afterward. This disorder is not solely about food; it’s deeply connected to self-image and emotional health. Despite appearing to maintain a normal weight, those affected may suffer serious emotional and physical health consequences. Treatment typically involves therapy, nutritional support, and medical care.

BED – Binge Eating Disorder

A diagnosis marked by recurrent binge eating episodes without compensatory behaviors, often leading to distress or weight gain.
Binge Eating Disorder is a clinically recognized eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of consuming large quantities of food in a short period, accompanied by a sense of loss of control. Unlike bulimia nervosa, individuals with BED do not regularly engage in compensatory behaviors such as purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. Common signs include eating rapidly, consuming food when not physically hungry, eating alone due to embarrassment, and experiencing feelings of guilt, shame, or distress after overeating. Effective treatments encompass cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), nutritional counseling, and, in some cases, medication. Early intervention and comprehensive care are crucial for recovery

Orthorexia

Orthorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an obsessive focus on consuming foods perceived as healthy, to the extent that it becomes restrictive and detrimental to overall well-being. Individuals with orthorexia may eliminate entire food groups, adhere to rigid dietary rules, and experience anxiety or guilt when deviating from their self-imposed standards. This fixation can lead to nutritional deficiencies, social isolation, and interference with daily functioning. Unlike other eating disorders that often center around weight or body image, orthorexia is primarily driven by the desire to achieve optimal health through dietary purity. However, this pursuit can paradoxically result in physical and psychological harm. Effective treatment typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, including medical care, nutritional counseling, and psychotherapy, to address both the physical and emotional aspects of the disorder.

Diabulimia

Diabulimia is an eating disorder that occurs when individuals with type 1 diabetes intentionally restrict or omit insulin doses to lose weight. This dangerous behavior combines aspects of diabetes management with disordered eating patterns, leading to serious health risks. Common signs include frequent urination, excessive thirst, fatigue, and high blood glucose levels. Over time, insulin restriction can result in severe complications, including diabetic ketoacidosis, nerve damage, kidney failure, and even death. Treatment for diabulimia requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both the medical and psychological aspects of the disorder. This typically involves a multidisciplinary team, including endocrinologists, mental health professionals, and dietitians, working together to stabilize blood sugar levels and address the underlying eating disorder behaviors.

ARFID – Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

A diagnosis where individuals avoid food due to sensory issues or fears, without body image concerns, leading to malnutrition. This complex eating disorder is characterized by a persistent avoidance or restriction of certain foods, leading to significant nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, dependence on nutritional supplements, or marked interference with psychosocial functioning. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID is not associated with distress about body shape or size. Individuals with ARFID may avoid food due to sensory sensitivities (e.g., texture, smell, taste), a lack of interest in eating, or fear of adverse consequences such as choking or vomiting. This avoidance goes beyond typical picky eating and can result in serious health complications, including malnutrition and impaired growth.

ARFID can affect individuals of all ages and is often associated with co-occurring conditions such as anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Effective treatment typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, including medical care, nutritional counseling, and psychotherapy, to address both the physical and psychological aspects of the disorder.

Pica

Pica is an eating disorder characterized by repeatedly eating non-food substances that have no nutritional value—such as dirt, clay, paper, chalk, hair, ice, or soap—for at least one month, in a way that is developmentally inappropriate and not part of a culturally accepted practice. It can occur on its own or alongside other conditions (including pregnancy, iron or zinc deficiency, or certain developmental or mental health disorders), and it can become medically dangerous due to risks like poisoning (e.g., lead), intestinal blockage, dental injury, infections, and nutrient imbalances. Treatment typically focuses on medical evaluation for deficiencies and complications, identifying triggers and patterns (stress, sensory seeking, compulsion), and using behavioral and therapeutic supports to replace the behavior with safer coping strategies while addressing any underlying mental health needs.

Atypical Anorexia Nervosa

A serious eating disorder in which an individual meets many of the behavioral and psychological criteria for anorexia nervosa—such as intense fear of weight gain, persistent food restriction, and distress about body shape or weight—but is not underweight by BMI standards. People with atypical anorexia may have experienced significant or rapid weight loss and can still develop severe medical complications, including bradycardia (slow heart rate), electrolyte imbalances, dizziness, and malnutrition. Because outward appearance may not match common stereotypes of anorexia, the condition is often overlooked or minimized, delaying care. Treatment focuses on medical stabilization as needed, restoring adequate nutrition, addressing restrictive and compensatory behaviors, and using evidence-based therapy to rebuild a safer relationship with food, body, and self.

OSFED – Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder

A category for serious eating disorders that don’t meet full criteria for AN, BN, or BED but still require treatment. This clinically significant eating disorder is characterized by disordered eating behaviors that cause distress and impairment but do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. OSFED encompasses a range of symptoms, including restrictive eating, purging without bingeing, infrequent binge episodes, night eating, and irregular eating habits. Despite not fitting into traditional categories, OSFED poses serious health risks and emotional challenges. Effective treatment involves a comprehensive approach addressing medical, nutritional, and psychological aspects to support recovery

EDNOS – Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

A former catch-all category for atypical eating disorders, now largely replaced by OSFED in DSM-5.

SRED – Sleep-Related Eating Disorder

A sleep disorder involving involuntary eating or drinking during sleep, often with little or no memory afterward. It differs from night eating syndrome because the person is not fully awake or aware during the episode.

Rumination Disorder

An eating disorder characterized by repeated regurgitation of food after eating, where food is brought back up into the mouth and may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out. This pattern is not the same as vomiting and is typically not driven by weight or body image concerns. Rumination disorder can occur in children, adolescents, or adults and may lead to weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition, dental problems, and social avoidance due to embarrassment. Treatment often includes medical evaluation to rule out gastrointestinal causes, along with behavioral therapy (such as diaphragmatic breathing and habit-reversal strategies) to interrupt the regurgitation cycle and support normal eating patterns.

Night Eating Syndrome

A pattern of disordered eating characterized by recurring episodes of eating after the evening meal and/or waking from sleep to eat, often accompanied by low appetite in the morning and strong urges to eat at night. Night eating is typically linked to distress, sleep disruption, and mood symptoms (such as anxiety or depression), and it can overlap with other eating disorders or be categorized under OSFED depending on presentation. Individuals may feel a sense of loss of control, guilt, or shame about nighttime eating, and the cycle can be reinforced by stress, irregular meal patterns, or restriction earlier in the day. Treatment often focuses on establishing consistent daytime nutrition, improving sleep routines, and using therapy (such as CBT-based approaches) to target triggers, regulate mood, and reduce nighttime urges.

Purging

Purging refers to behaviors used to try to “undo” eating or prevent weight gain, most commonly through self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills, and sometimes other methods intended to rapidly reduce calories or change the body. Purging can occur in bulimia nervosa, purging disorder (often under OSFED), and sometimes alongside restrictive eating patterns. It can lead to serious medical complications, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalances (which can affect heart rhythm), throat and esophageal irritation, acid reflux, stomach problems, and dental enamel erosion. Treatment typically includes medical monitoring, nutrition support to stabilize eating patterns, and therapy to reduce purging urges, address body image distress, and build safer coping skills.

Chew-and-Spit

A disordered eating behavior in which a person chews food for taste and texture but spits it out instead of swallowing, often to avoid calories or weight gain. Chew-and-spit can occur alongside restrictive eating, binge eating, or purging behaviors and is often driven by intense food cravings, fear of weight gain, or rigid food rules. While it may feel like a “safer” alternative to eating, it can reinforce obsessive thinking about food, increase shame and secrecy, and contribute to nutritional restriction. It may also cause physical issues such as stomach discomfort, increased acid production, dental irritation, and swollen salivary glands. Treatment typically focuses on stabilizing regular nutrition, reducing restriction that fuels urges, and addressing the underlying anxiety, compulsions, and body image distress through therapy and nutrition support.

Refeeding

Refers to the medically and nutritionally supervised process of restoring nourishment and stabilizing weight in individuals who have experienced significant malnutrition due to restrictive eating. Refeeding is a critical component of early treatment for anorexia nervosa and is approached with great care to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Refeeding Syndrome

A potentially life-threatening set of medical complications that can occur when nutrition is reintroduced after a period of significant malnutrition or prolonged restriction, particularly in higher-risk individuals. During refeeding, the body shifts from a starvation state back into an active metabolic state, which can cause dangerous drops in key electrolytes—especially phosphate, as well as potassium and magnesium—along with fluid shifts that can strain the heart and other organs. Symptoms can include weakness, swelling, confusion, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, and in severe cases seizures or cardiac complications. Because risk is higher with significant undernourishment or rapid weight loss, refeeding is done with careful clinical monitoring, gradual nutrition increases as appropriate, and frequent lab checks and supplementation when needed.

BDD – Body Dysmorphic Disorder / Body Dysmorphia

A mental health condition involving intense, distressing preoccupation with perceived flaws in one’s appearance that are minor or not visible to others. These concerns may involve the face, skin, hair, body parts, or sometimes body shape, and can lead to repetitive behaviors such as mirror checking, reassurance seeking, grooming, comparing, or avoiding social situations. BDD can overlap with eating disorders because both may involve distorted body image, but they are distinct diagnoses; in eating disorders, body image concerns are more often centered on weight, shape, food, and eating behaviors. Some people may experience both conditions, which can increase distress and impairment.

Body Checking

A pattern of repeatedly checking body shape, size, or weight in ways that reinforce eating disorder thoughts and increase anxiety. Examples include frequent weighing, mirror checking, measuring, pinching/grabbing body fat, comparing to others, or repeatedly assessing how clothes fit. Treatment often focuses on reducing checking rituals and building more neutral, flexible ways of relating to the body.

Body Avoidance

A pattern of avoiding body-related triggers to escape distress, shame, or fear of judgment. Examples include avoiding mirrors/photos, wearing baggy clothing to hide shape, skipping social situations or eating in public, avoiding being weighed, or withdrawing from intimacy or clothing shopping. Treatment often involves gradual exposure, reducing avoidance rituals, and building tolerance and self-compassion.

Fear Foods / Safe Foods

“Fear foods” are foods a person feels intense anxiety about eating, often due to beliefs that they will cause weight gain, loss of control, or guilt. “Safe foods” are foods perceived as more acceptable or less threatening and may be relied on repeatedly to reduce anxiety. While these categories can feel protective in the short term, they often reinforce rigidity, restriction, and avoidance, and can make eating in real-life settings (restaurants, social events, travel) more distressing. Treatment typically involves gradually expanding food variety through supported exposures, reducing rigid food rules, and building a more flexible, balanced relationship with eating.

Therapy Approaches Back to top ⮝

Evidence-Based Treatment

Treatment approaches that are supported by scientific research and clinical evidence.

Modality

A modality is a formal therapeutic method that guides how care is delivered to meet the needs of the individual. Each modality, whether it’s Psychodrama, DBT, CBT, or FBT, etc offers a different therapeutic path or structure designed to target certain emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or relational aspects of recovery.

CBT – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A structured, evidence-based therapy focused on identifying and modifying negative thoughts and behaviors related to food, body image, and self-worth driving the eating disorder. It helps individuals develop healthier patterns of thinking and coping strategies.

• Commonly used for: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder.
• Goal: Change negative thought cycles that drive disordered eating.

DBT – Dialectical Behavior Therapy

DBT is a form of CBT developed to help with emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. It’s especially helpful for individuals with intense emotions, self-harming behaviors, or co-occurring conditions.

• Commonly used for: bulimia, binge eating, and eating disorders with self-harm or emotional dysregulation.
• Goal: Balance acceptance and change, teaching mindfulness and coping skills.

CBT-E – Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT-E is a highly specialized, evidence-based form of psychotherapy designed specifically to treat the full range of eating disorders. This “enhanced” version of traditional CBT is “transdiagnostic,” meaning it is effective for individuals struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and OSFED. Unlike general therapy, CBT-E focuses directly on the specific psychological “drivers” that maintain an eating disorder, such as an over-evaluation of shape and weight, extreme dietary restraint, and mood-driven eating behaviors. Through a structured, personalized approach, patients learn to stabilize their eating patterns, challenge distorted body image, and develop healthy coping mechanisms for emotional distress. The ultimate goal of CBT-E is to create a sustainable, flexible relationship with food and provide the tools necessary for long-term relapse prevention.

EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

EMDR is a trauma-focused therapy used to help adolescents with eating disorders, especially when these disorders are linked to past trauma, emotional distress, or adverse life events. It is an evidence-based treatment originally developed to reduce distress from traumatic memories, but it has been increasingly used as part of eating disorder care for both adolescents and adults. By reducing the emotional charge of traumatic memories, EMDR can decrease anxiety, self-criticism, and dysfunctional coping behaviors like food restriction or purging. It may also help improve self-esteem and reduce internalized body shame, factors that often drive disordered eating in adolescents. EMDR is not used in isolation. It’s typically integrated into a multidisciplinary treatment plan.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is one of the four core skills emphasized in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), alongside distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. This practice helps clients stay present with uncomfortable emotions rather than reacting with bingeing or compensatory behaviors. Mindfulness supports emotional awareness and distress tolerance, both essential for interrupting cycles of emotional eating and fostering long-term recovery from eating disorders.

RO-DBT – Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy

A CBT variant designed for people with over-controlled personality traits, common in restrictive eating disorders like anorexia.

FBT – Family-Based Treatment (Maudsley Method)

An evidence-based approach primarily used for adolescents, where families play an active role in the recovery process. FBT empowers parents to take charge of their child’s nutrition and supports the family unit in fostering recovery.

• Who it’s for: Primarily adolescents with anorexia or bulimia.
• How it works: Empowers parents to take an active role in restoring their child’s weight and normal eating behaviors at home.
• Focus: Family involvement, especially in early recovery stages

ACT – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

A behavioral therapy that encourages acceptance of unwanted thoughts/feelings while committing to actions aligned with personal values.

• • Focus: Encourages acceptance of thoughts/feelings rather than fighting them, while committing to behavior aligned with personal values.
  • Benefit: Reduces avoidance-based coping (e.g., restricting, binging) and fosters psychological flexibility.

MANTRA – Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults

It is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy specifically developed for adults with anorexia nervosa, created by researchers and clinicians at the Maudsley Hospital/Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience in London. Includes motivational work and personalized modules tailored to each patient’s needs. Encourages involvement of caretakers or family members, when appropriate. It combines elements from various therapeutic approaches, including:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Motivational interviewing
• Schema therapy
• Interpersonal therapy

MI – Motivational Interviewing

A collaborative, nonjudgmental counseling approach that helps individuals explore and resolve ambivalence about change. In eating disorder treatment, MI is often used to strengthen internal motivation for recovery, reduce resistance, and clarify personal values (such as health, relationships, independence, or creativity) that may conflict with eating disorder behaviors. Rather than confronting or persuading, the therapist uses reflective listening and guided questions to help the individual articulate their own reasons for change and identify realistic next steps. MI is commonly integrated with other therapies and can be especially helpful early in treatment or during periods when motivation feels mixed or fragile.

Schema Therapy

An integrative, evidence-based psychotherapy that helps identify and change long-standing emotional patterns (called “schemas”) that often develop from early life experiences and can drive chronic distress and self-defeating behaviors. In eating disorder treatment, schema therapy can be especially helpful when restrictive, bingeing, or purging behaviors are tied to deeper themes such as defectiveness/shame, abandonment, mistrust, emotional deprivation, or unrelenting standards (perfectionism). Treatment combines cognitive and behavioral tools with emotion-focused techniques (including imagery work and “mode” work) to reduce self-criticism, strengthen healthier coping, and build a more stable sense of self and needs. It can be used alongside nutrition support and other therapies to help make recovery more durable, especially when symptoms have been persistent or relapse-prone.

IPT – Interpersonal Psychotherapy

A time-limited, structured therapy focusing on improving interpersonal relationships and resolving conflicts that may contribute to disordered eating.

• Focus: Addresses interpersonal issues (e.g., role disputes, grief, transitions) that may contribute to disordered eating.
• Evidence-based for: Bulimia and binge eating disorder.

ERP – Exposure and Response Prevention

A form of behavior therapy targeting avoidance behaviors, often used for eating disorders with OCD features or extreme food fears.

Psychodrama

An experiential therapy that uses guided role-play, dramatic enactment, and group dynamics to help people with eating disorders explore underlying emotions, relational patterns, and traumatic experiences in a safe, structured setting. While often used with adolescents who respond well to interactive or creative approaches, psychodrama is also widely used with adults and in family therapy, where it can illuminate how relationships, communication styles, and past experiences shape a person’s relationship with food, body image, and self-worth.

In these contexts, psychodrama helps uncover entrenched relational patterns that reinforce the eating disorder—such as communication barriers, unspoken family roles, or conflict avoidance. For adults, it can surface long-held emotional beliefs that shape food and body relationships, allowing for corrective experiences and more adaptive coping. In both individual and group settings, it offers a structured yet creative way to externalize the eating disorder, reduce shame, and build insight, making it a powerful complement to talk therapy, nutrition counseling, and other evidence-based treatments.

Levels of Care Back to top ⮝

OP – Outpatient Treatment

A less intensive level of care where individuals attend scheduled therapy sessions while maintaining their daily routines. Outpatient treatment is ideal for those with mild symptoms or as a step-down from higher levels of care.

IOP – Intensive Outpatient Program

A structured treatment model that provides frequent therapy and support while allowing individuals to continue living at home. Programs typically include 3–5 sessions per week, each lasting several hours, and combine individual therapy, group therapy, nutrition counseling, and targeted skill-building to help stabilize eating behaviors, strengthen coping strategies, and support ongoing recovery.

PHP – Partial Hospitalization Program

A comprehensive full-day program providing intensive support, including individual and group structured therapy, nutritional counseling, supported meals, and support 5–7 days per week, but returning home in the evenings.

RTC – Residential Treatment Center

24/7 care. A live-in treatment facility providing 24-hour care for individuals with severe eating disorders. RTCs offer a highly structured environment with supervision and comprehensive therapeutic services, including medical monitoring, psychotherapy, and nutritional care for individuals who need a higher level of intervention.

IP – Inpatient

Hospital-based care for individuals in acute medical or psychiatric crisis due to their eating disorder.

Medical Stabilization

A short-term, inpatient or residential intervention aimed at addressing acute medical issues resulting from eating disorders, such as malnutrition or electrolyte imbalances. The goal is to stabilize the individual’s physical health before transitioning to other forms of treatment.

Supportive Living

Offers structured, recovery-focused housing that fosters independence while maintaining accountability. Includes peer support, staff oversight, and a safe space to practice recovery skills outside of clinical hours.

Meal Support

Therapeutic assistance provided during meals to help individuals develop healthier eating behaviors, challenge disordered thoughts, and reduce anxiety associated with eating.

Nutritional Rehabilitation

The process of restoring an individual’s nutritional health through structured meal planning, education, and support, aiming to correct deficiencies and establish balanced eating patterns.

Trauma-Informed Care

An approach to treatment that recognizes the impact of past trauma on an individual’s mental health and incorporates strategies to create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment.

Alumni Program

A program to support individuals who have completed treatment, providing resources, events, community connections and support.

Treatment Team Back to top ⮝

Multidisciplinary Team

A team of healthcare professionals from different specialties working together to provide comprehensive treatment.

RD – Registered Dietitian

A licensed nutrition expert who designs meal plans and supports healthy eating behaviors during treatment.

MD – Medical Doctor

A physician responsible for overseeing the patient’s medical care, including complications from eating disorders.

LCSW – Licensed Clinical Social Worker

A licensed clinician trained in therapy and case management, often part of a multidisciplinary team.

LMFT – Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

A therapist trained to work with individuals and families, often supporting relationship dynamics in eating disorder recovery.

PsyD/PhD – Clinical Psychologist

A psychologist with a doctorate who conducts therapy and psychological testing in eating disorder treatment.

RN – Registered Nurse

A nurse who monitors physical health, administers medication, and supports medical safety in higher levels of care.

NP – Nurse Practitioner

A healthcare provider who may prescribe medications and manage physical or psychiatric symptoms of eating disorders.

PA – Physician Assistant

A licensed medical professional who performs similar duties to doctors under physician supervision in treatment settings.

CNS – Clinical Nurse Specialist

An advanced nurse with specialized training in mental health or medical care, often part of eating disorder programs.

LPCC/LPC – Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

A Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), sometimes titled Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) depending on the state, is a master’s-level mental health clinician trained to assess, diagnose, and treat psychological disorders. In eating-disorder care, LPCCs/LPCs provide evidence-based therapies such as CBT and DBT to address disordered eating, body-image concerns, anxiety, trauma, and other co-occurring conditions. They help develop treatment plans, lead individual and group therapy, and collaborate with dietitians, psychiatrists, medical providers, and family therapists to support clients across all levels of care.

CRPS – Certified Peer Recovery Specialist

A person who has lived experience with recovery and is trained to support others in their recovery journey.

Administrative Terms & Assessment ToolsBack to top ⮝

LOA – Letter of Agreement

A Letter of Agreement is a formal document between a treatment provider and an insurance company that outlines specific terms for coverage or reimbursement, especially when the provider is out-of-network. It ensures the insurer will pay for agreed-upon services at a defined rate for a particular client’s care, often used when specialized eating disorder treatment is not readily available in-network.

ROI – Release of Information

A Release of Information is a legal form that allows treatment providers to share a patient’s health information with designated individuals or organizations. In eating disorder care, it’s commonly used to coordinate with family members, medical doctors, therapists, dietitians, schools, or insurance companies.

UM – Utilization Management

Utilization Management refers to the process insurance companies use to determine the medical necessity and appropriateness of a treatment. For eating disorders, UM teams review clinical documentation to approve or deny coverage for different levels of care (e.g., inpatient, residential, PHP, and IOP), often requiring frequent updates from providers.

CM – Case Management

Case Management involves coordinating a client’s treatment across multiple providers and levels of care. In the eating disorder field, a case manager may help organize admissions, outpatient transitions, communication between professionals, insurance logistics, and family support to ensure continuity and effectiveness of care.

Single Case Agreement

A one-time contract between an insurance company and an out-of-network provider to cover a specific patient’s treatment, often when no appropriate in-network option is available. It typically defines the approved level of care, dates of service, and reimbursement terms, and is coordinated through admissions/utilization management.

EDE-Q – Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire

A self-report questionnaire used to assess eating disorder symptoms and behaviors for diagnosis and treatment planning.

EDI – Eating Disorder Inventory

A comprehensive psychological assessment measuring cognitive, emotional, and behavioral traits linked to eating disorders.

DSM-5

In the field of eating disorders, the DSM-5 is short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, the standard classification system used by mental health professionals in the U.S. to diagnose psychiatric conditions, including eating disorders. It is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides criteria for diagnosis, symptom descriptions, and differentiation between disorders

BMI – Body Mass Index

A numerical measurement of weight relative to height, often used to track medical risk in eating disorder patients (controversial in use).

Miscellaneous Terms Back to top ⮝

LGBTQIA

This acronym is used to represent a broad spectrum of sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions.
L – Lesbian
G – Gay
B – Bisexual
T – Transgender
Q – Queer or Questioning
I – Intersex
A – Asexual, Aromantic, Agender and sometimes Ally